Many currently available toothpastes contain auxiliary agents for tooth whitening or other hygienic purposes in addition to tooth cleaning. Although many types of agents can be effectively incorporated into toothpastes, the ability to incorporate auxiliary components into toothpastes is limited by such factors as the compatibility of the components with the toothpaste and possible deleterious effects the components and the toothpaste may have on each other. For example, a reactive component may become neutralized prior to use, or may adversely affect the shelf life, viscosity, taste, or other properties of the toothpaste.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,126 to Joshi, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a toothbrush having an electrochemical cell for generating an oxidizing gas via an internal electrochemical process. During brushing, a user engages a switch to activate an internal electrochemical cell which generates the oxidizing agent, such as oxygen. The oxidizing gas is exhausted to the bristle portion of the brush for application to the user's oral cavity. Other gaseous products generated in the electrochemical cell, such as hydrogen, are directed away from the bristle portion of the brush. This arrangement has inherent drawbacks.
There remains a need for an improved oral care implement having the ability to deliver beneficial agents using an oral care implement without suffering from drawbacks and limitations known in the art.